Lily Of The Valley
by Mikazuki Mitsukai
Summary: Rakuzan Shirayuri. It sounded very unfitting in her ears, even though it's been her name for all these years. Yet, soon, it would be changed. Akashi Shirayuri. It sounded just as awkward.
1. Chapter 1

**So, it turns out that my campus' library has this strange effect for the mind. I could sit for hours and hours with a piece of paper and a pen in hand or an open laptop with Microsoft Word ready to be filled and not have the slightest idea how to start a paragraph. Put me in the library and these words bellow popped out of nowhere.**

**This is my first fanfic after a very long time, so please be kind to me. And it's my first KnB story.**

**It's messy. I think I'll tidy it up later, when I'm not struggling with college stuff. College absolutely murdered my writing.**

**I hope you'll like it.**

**Was listening to Melted by Akdong Musician when writing this. ^-^**

**Disclaimer: This thing is stupid. If I own KnB, why the heck would I be here? And the anime/manga won't be as awesome if I were the one to make them.**

**P.S.: Past and present events and dialogues are separated by horizontal lines. Words in _Italic_ are either thoughts or past event(s) being recalled.**

**I wish Rakuzan would win against Seirin… (Sorry, Tetsu-kun! I love you, but Sei-kun is my hubby, so…)**

* * *

_Lily Of The Valley_

_Chapter 1_

_Shrine_

When Shirayuri was sad or angry, she would slip out of everyone's gaze and hide at the back of a nearby shrine. It was a well kept shire just a few hundred meters away from her grandfather's house in Kyoto. People don't usually come there unless there was a festival or a ceremony of some sort. The only person who would come was the caretaker, and he usually came early in the morning. In short, the shrine was deserted. A perfect place to cry.

It's quite odd that almost every time Shirayuri went to Kyoto, she would be visiting the shrine at least once. The source of her grief most of the time, though not every time, was her grandfather himself.

"I could almost swear he really hates me." She whispered to no one in particular as she whipped another stray tear running down her cheek. She had been at her usual spot for more than forty minutes and the tears still refused to dry out, though her sobs had mostly subsided.

It's odd, she often thought, that people always expect grandparents to always be loving, gentle, kind, and compassionate.

_Those are lies_, thought she. _Or, maybe, they are true in other people's lives. But it's not in mine._

Other people are lucky. Other people have grandfathers who put them on his knees and told them stories of his younger days. Other people have grandfathers who would listen to their problems and give them comfort when they felt sad. Other people have grandfathers who were proud of them and called them the most precious thing God had ever created in the world. Other people have grandfathers who would prepare a shot gun and a six feet hole in the backyard if a guy dared to even make his granddaughter frown in distress.

The thought sent another wave of sobs that made her petite body tremble like a fluttering leaf.

If she were someone else, how nice it would be…

* * *

"_Disgrace." Rakuzan Yamato whispered in distaste, though it could be heard quite clearly, as he stared at the kneeling small form before him, trembling and afraid to look up. "I do not accept you as my granddaughter," he muttered a little louder, loud enough for all twenty people in the room to hear. "Not now. Not ever!"_

* * *

_Where were her parents? They should be here by now. She didn't want to spend so much time alone at her grandfather's house. He's bound to get mad sooner or later._

_As Shirayuri's mind occupied itself in worry, the door before her slid open. Shirayuri clutched her teddy bear tighter. Much to her dismay, the person on the door was not her daddy or mommy._

"_Why are you still here?" her grandfather said coldly. His face was redder than usual, but Shirayuri didn't dare to point that out. His eyes were mad as they locked their gaze to the seven year old._

"_I'm waiting for Okaa-sama and Otou-sama, Ojii-sama," Shirayuri answered meekly._

_The elder Rakuzan frowned and stepped inside._

"_I do not want to hear you call me that. And if you want to wait, wait outside."_

"_H__ai. I will be at the living room the-"_

"_No. you will be waiting outside of this house."_

"_But-"_

"_Do not defy me, child!"_

_He looked so angry, Shirayuri could only sit and tremble in fear. When she failed to remove herself from the room, Yamato stepped forward until he was standing in front of the girl, took a cutter that was placed on a nearby table, and grabbed Shirayuri by the upper arm so that she was forced to stand up._

_He lowered his face unto her level, until his face was all that she could see and brought the cutter close to her face._

"_Leave," he ordered. "Or I will _kill _you."_

He's serious, _Shirayuri thought in horror. She could see it clearly in his eyes. Her legs were numb. _He's going to kill me.

_She could almost feel the cold metal of the cutter against her skin. It was only an inch away from her chin. Yamato moved it slowly upwards until she could see the sharp point of it glinting under the too bright lamp. The cutter was a bit rusty, but the sharp edges still glinted in the moonlight.  
_

If that thing cut me, I'm going to die…

"_Out." He let go of her. Her legs stumbled._

So slow,_ Yamato glared at the__ trembling girl. He wanted her out of his sight. The mere sight of her was repulsing. He yelled in rage._

"_OOOOOUT!"_

_She was running before she knew it. The road outside was empty. She was lucky because she didn't spare even the simplest thought of her surrounding. Her goal was to get away, far away from _him_. She ran until she reached the stairs to a shrine and collapsed there, wailing._

_Shirayuri sat and buried her face in her hands as she cried as loud as she could. The loud sobs made it hard for her to breathe, but she couldn't stop them. She didn't want to._

_"Wh-where d-did I go *gasp* wrong?" she gasped in between sobs. "Wh-why do you *sob* hate me so much?" she struggled to inhale. Her chest felt hurt._

_Fifteen minutes later, her tears were still running. Her sobs have decreased, though she was still struggling to let air into her lungs, heaving for air with a hand clutching her chest as if she had asthma. She was starting to calm down. A little._

_But calming down meant awareness of the situation she was put in. Looking around, Shirayuri didn't know where she was. The area was unfamiliar and dark. The only source of light was a post lamp a few feet away from where she sat, on the bottom of a set of stairs so high, she couldn't tell where they lead to. There were trees along the road. Houses were scarce and far away, the closest one being a small one around a hundred meters away on her left. No one was around, despite her cries that should have been able to wake the dead._

_A new kind of dread rose on the bottom of her stomach. She realized that she was alone, lost, and had nowhere to go. Her parents wouldn't find her. They didn't know what happened to her. _And when they looked but I was nowhere to be found_,_ _Shirayuri thought. _Will they keep on looking, or will they give up and forget me?

_She wanted to go home, yet unable to go back.  
_

Should I cross the bridge over there?,_ Shirayuri thought. _I remember Aruto-Nii said, a bridge near Ojii-sama's house will lead to the main road. If I go where there are many people, someone might want to adopt me. But if nobody wants to, then I'll have to be a beggar or a homeless. But I don't want to be a beggar, it's cold!

_Shirayuri turned her head to her right and frowned._

Or should I try to go the direction I came from? I could go to Tanaka-san's place. She might take me in, even if only for a while...,_ she pondered to herself. _But from where did I come? Mou, I should've paid attention earlier!

_She stayed put for two hours in dilemma until one of her grandfather's maids found her and took her (almost dragging her) back. The maid said her grandfather delivered her his deepest apology. She didn't care. He sickened her._

_When her parents finally came and questioned the reason of her distress, she said she couldn't find her teddy anywhere. The maid who picked her up retrieved it from the room the confrontation took place, where she left it in her haste to escape._

_She refused, until now, to look at her grandfather in the eyes.  
_

* * *

Shirayuri stood up after making sure that all traces of tears had been cleaned. It was dark already. She needed to make her way home before people started to look for her.

Anxiously, she took out her phone to check on time. 18.40. If she ran, she'd have plenty of time to slip inside unnoticed, which would take some effort because her grandfather hired new guards who didn't know she liked to walk around outside on her own. Then, she'd take a bath and show up like she had never left. Plus, she couldn't afford to be late. There would be a meeting tonight.

* * *

"_I have decided on a husband for you."_

* * *

Her throat felt clogged when memories of what happened earlier that day returned. Shirayuri gulped and tried to hold her tears at bay as she picked up her pace.

She should have brought her bike along.

Then again, it'll alarm people that she was gone without permission.

* * *

"_This marriage will purify the noble blood of our family."_

* * *

She could still recall the cold look he gave her and her mother.

* * *

"_It is the least you could do to repay your debt to the Rakuzan Clan."_

* * *

_My _debt_...?  
_

* * *

"_You will marry the grandson of my old friend."_

* * *

The grandson of the person who could stand being so close to someone like _him. _She doubted the guy would be a pleasant one. But then again, Shintarou-kun knew the guy, so he can't be that bad. Hopefully, this arranged marriage won't be filled with disasters.

* * *

"_His name is Akashi Seijuro."_

* * *

**Slight adjustment had been made. Though I'm still not satisfied... Thanks for a_nnoyed by you_ for pointing out mistakes! I could spend hours proofing and some mistakes will still escape me, somehow.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

**Meeting**

Family meetings were occasions where grandfather gave out orders or announcements. Everyone else would sit and listen in silence, only speaking if they were to give out comments or questions. At least, the meetings Shirayuri attended were as such. This one was no exception; the only difference was her, specifically her arranged marriage, being the main topic of discussion.

Everyone from the main family was present -grandfather and his sister, her father's brothers and sisters with their spouses and children. The younger generation sat at the back, while the elders sat at the front. On Shirayuri's left was her older brother –half-brother- Kishihiro. On her right was her cousin, Shintarou-kun. In front of them were their parents. They were all lined up on three sides of the walls, facing the lonesome figure of the head of the clan like subjects surrounding their king.

Shirayuri couldn't help but muse, as grandfather's assistant approached her sometime in the middle of the meeting, at how odd it was the family she was born into.

Hiiro-san –the assistant- gave her a folder. She opened it to find a picture of Akashi Seijuurou clipped to the very front page with a bold **AKASHI SEIJUUROU** written beside it. Shirayuri almost snorted. It was as if she didn't know her betrothed's name. Considering the fact that he was brought up every five sentences or so in the past three days, Shirayuri was positive she could write his name backwards a hundred times in calligraphy while blindfolded.

The stuff contained in the folder was information she needed to know about the boy. The order was an unspoken one, but she was to memorize to her utmost ability everything that was written inside. Fearless the balding clan leaders of old families of wealth may be, they still had to watch out for the eager press trying to find skeletons in the family closet. Two souls forced to unite against their will in a loveless matrimony would give permission to wreak havoc for those human right watchers who entertained the notion of marriage out of love, which would do no good for either family. So, the idea was Shirayuri and Seijuurou, though bound by a betrothal not quite of their own will, have known each other for quite some time. It would then be the basis of the notion that the two _have_ developed some feelings for each other. In doing so, the clan-heads would appear as if they performed a good deed for the younglings –giving them the opportunity to be together while benefiting their respective family in the process.

At the beginning, Shirayuri wondered if there was anyone stupid enough to buy that bullshit. But then again, people surprised her quite often. Then, the clan heads started to fabricate a lie consisting very explicit details. Details such as the date the two met (at a family meeting a few days after they began middle school), how they started to befriend each other (Shirayuri was terrible at sports, so Seijuurou decided to help her), what they liked to talk about (the dark themed anime she liked to watch, his matches, Shintarou's stupidity that involved quite a bit of lucky item shenanigans, and such), and other seemingly insignificant trivia (she'd never given him chocolate on Valentine's day before; he once took her on a date as a birthday gift where they spent all day together). She was even informed of several of her likes Seijuurou would've chastised her for (eating too much; hatred towards banana; unhealthy love towards chili and spicy food in general; her love to laze around; fan-girling over fictional characters and boy-bands instead of real-life guys; the 'inappropriate/ music she liked to listen to; swearing in foreign languages; being a total weirdo in general, etc.). Shirayuri supposed it would be relevant somewhere in the long run. They asked her what she would say in response.

The finger times two at his face alongside various versions of a request to pull out the hundred feet spiky pole up his ass that he seemed to love was her immediate response. Oh, and that there's this thing called minding his own business. There was no fucking way she'd change any of those.

She told them the (extremely) watered down version of it to avoid scarring.

She also added that criticizing her likes so much wouldn't make her like him, actually. Akashi Amahara, the Akashi clan head and soon-to-be grandfather no.2, infuriatingly countered that Seijuurou would've done that out of love for her and wanted her to be a better person, that Seijuurou wouldn't have said anything if he didn't care for her. If they've known each other for the agreed upon duration, Shirayuri would've realized that also.

"A relationship with no drama is no relationship, after all. A healthy dose of disagreement only adds spices for romance." The old geezer added with a mischievous wink. Shirayuri would very much love to wipe his sly smirk off his face. _Literally_.

Seijuurou himself wasn't present at the meeting, which was held a few hours after grandfather informed Shirayuri of the arrangement, as he was hindered by an important basketball match. It was unfair –in her opinion- that she had to face that humiliation all by herself. Misery without company was a lonely misery. He, however, would be debriefed of the day's findings, though not as she had. Today's meeting at Rakuzan residence was for such a purpose, though the receiver would be Rakuzan family members instead of the Akashi family heir. The stuff delivered were nothing she didn't already know. The repetition bore her to death, and it was beginning to form a mild headache. So, she tried to mute the adults' voices and focus on her folder instead, never mind the fact that she already knew most of the stuff inside.

Unfortunately, reading could not block everything that was being said. Shirayuri had to keep reminding herself time and again _not_ to roll her eyes in exasperation at the ridiculous stuff grandfather spouted. She was under scrutiny. Anything deemed disobedient or inappropriate would lead to public chastisement, which was terribly humiliating. However, listening to grandfather droning on and on about how beneficial the arrangement would be for the family (and how he subtly pointed out that it was the only way Shirayuri could be of use for the Rakuzan clan) was tiring her to death. Not to mention oh _so_ annoying.

Sometimes, Shirayuri wondered if she truly was related to the old man, if he hated her so. Now and then, she still wondered if she was a byproduct of her mother's infidelity, which grandfather knew that. It would explain his distaste towards her. But then again, Shirayuri was the grandchild who resembled Rakuzan Yamato the most –the only one to inherit his white hair and eyes, along with his cheekbones and easily sparked temperament. She was often teased during grade school because of her complexion. The children would call her 'ghost' and shoo her with self-made talismans out of scraps of cloth. Shirayuri once bitch-slapped a fellow classmate who told her to go die and disappear because 'she's already a youkai.' The girl couldn't look at her in the eyes for months. It made Shirayuri so satisfied that she couldn't bring herself to care about the detention and severe chastisement grandfather gave her when he found out.

Now, staring at the photograph, Shirayuri wondered if anyone had ever teased Akashi's looks before. It was a recently taken photo, so the eyes staring back at hers were heterochromatic ones instead of a plain pair of red. Mismatched eye-color like that would surely guarantee bullying, name calling being the tamest example. Shintarou had informed her of various things regarding his former captain, thus Shirayuri knew of his status as a mega-creepy cutie-turned-psychopath kinda dude who could not be bullied unless bullies were suicidal. Or masochistic.

_But what if the bully had never heard of him before?_ Shirayuri pondered. That would certainly make an interesting scenario.

Her random musing was interrupted, however, when her name was called. Her posture snapped to attention, her gaze flew to grandfather, who apparently had something he'd still yet to express.

"From here onward," Yamato said as his gaze pierced Shirayuri's. She stared back, unwilling to show vulnerability by looking down. "You will continue your education at Rakuzan-High. I will not have a Rakuzan enroll in a common public school with little to no reputation to speak of. Your decision to attend such a place instead of our own is incomprehensible to me. Have I made myself clear?"

_Then why did you let me enroll there in the first place, you asshole? And Shintarou-kun didn't attend Rakuzan either!_

"Yes, Ojii-sama."

"You will attend school starting next Monday. I shall have Hiiro arrange your transfer. In the meantime, you will familiar yourself with Rakuzan's curriculum. A private teacher will come every afternoon to adjust your learning standards to that of Rakuzan's. The lessons will be held at the western study room at four in the afternoon. Sharp. Is there any question?"

"No, Ojii-sama."

"Good. This meeting is adjourned. We shall continue after dinner to-"

Shirayuri cut off the rest of grandfather's words. There was nothing worth listening to anymore.

In a few moments, she rose from her seat. Her legs were used to endure tedious hours of meetings, but she could hardly feel them at the moment. That or it was merely the effect of her numb body. Nevertheless, she geared them to follow Shintarou out of the room.

Her cousin slowed his pace so he walked by her side and put a hand on her shoulder for support. She gave him a grateful smile in return. The warmth radiating from him reminded her that she wasn't alone, that she had those who would help her in this bleak time of need.

* * *

Midorima Shintarou didn't know what to think of this arranged marriage between his cousin and his former captain. When his mother relayed the news to him yesterday, he could only gape in shock (as in literally-mouth-opened-wide-in-disbelief shock) for a few seconds. That uncharacteristic act earned him a lifted eyebrow from his mother. The only word he could muster afterwards was a confused "What?"

It made Shintarou wondered if he should've asked Momoi to find him an extra-large pink bunny rabbit plushy, after all. Cancer's luck was at the bottom of the list that day, so he'd asked her for a favor -to find a suitable lucky item. Nevertheless, it appeared to be unhelpful. He wondered if his luck that day truly was unsalvageable.

Today, Cancer was third from top in position. However, it did little to lessen his perplexity at the situation, and he was no less confused. It wasn't everyday he was told Akashi Seijuurou would be his future in-law, after all.

His gaze swept across the hallway outside of the meeting hall, crowded with relatives. Some were talking amongst themselves, but most of them (who consist of mainly females of various ages) were surrounding him and his now engaged cousin to talk to her, mostly to congratulate. Advices and warnings would be given in private, Shintarou knew.

Shirayuri looked calm and composed, receiving congratulatory words with smiles and thanks in return. But, he knew his cousin enough that she was seething inside, and probably also ready to break down and cry once left alone.

There was nothing he could do for her at the moment, though, so he kept his quiet. When the horde of relatives thickened, and he could no longer stand his personal space being intruded upon, Shintarou took advantage of his large built to get away. Shirayuri's red hot poker of a gaze launched at his back he ignored. Nothing could stop him from helping himself to a safe haven in the kitchen. Shirayuri could find him there when she's finished, or rather, when _they_ are finished with her.

He ignored the slight pang of guilt at abandoning his cousin at the merciless hands (claws, really) of the succubi, but the queasy feeling was quenched by a heavenly scent drifting from his favorite mug. The cook prepared hot chocolate for him the moment she saw him enter. The beverage was just the way he liked it, scalding hot and not too sweet -unlike that liquid-sugar stuff people deemed edible for a reason he could never fathom. The warm drink eased his nerves. He gave the old cook a rare grateful smile.

The chocolate stole too much of his attention, though, that he failed to sense an approaching presence until a pair of arms wound around his neck and something soft pressed against his back. That, and the accompanying call of his name in a friendly, yet ominous tone in his ears, made him groan in annoyance.

"Now now, is that any way to greet your dear sweet cousin?" the person hugging him teased. Shintarou shrugged her arms off of his person with a huff and offered no answer (at least audible ones -the words he grumbled in his head were better left unheard). The girl merely sat herself on a stool next to his instead, unaffected by his cold response. The following few minutes was quiet as she offered no words to start a conversation, to Shintarou's delight.

The half minute of silence between them was interrupted when she tried to grab the ken doll sitting innocently on the table near his mug, his lucky item for the day. The girl lifted her arms in surrender while chuckling lightly at Shintarou's warning growl.

"I thought you'd keep Yuri company, Shin-chan, not happily sipping hot chocolate here while those hags ravage her," the girl commented. Shintarou spared her a glance. The girl, Rakuzan Mihoshi, offered him a dazzling smile that made him want to hit her with a rolled up Zunon Boy magazine (which was quite painful, experience said) if only she wasn't his cousin and eight months older. Oh, how satisfying it would be. Her hailing from the female side was of no concern. She could always pay him back tenfold with ease.

"I could say the same to you, Mihoshi," Shintarou said after taking another sip of his hot chocolate. "You handle those 'hags', as you put them, better than I could."

"Touché," was her only answer.

Shintarou waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he sighed in thinly veiled exasperation. The whole situation made him uneasy, so was her attitude towards it. Mihoshi wasn't acting like herself, he observed. Normally, she wouldn't let Shintarou call her anything but 'dearest Onee-sama'. She would've been by Shirayuri's side when the younger girl got into some kind of trouble. It's what Mihoshi ought to be doing now, instead of hanging around in the kitchen with Shintarou.

Asking directly wouldn't help, so Shintarou decided to revert his attention towards his cooling drink instead. Mihoshi, whom seemingly decided that anything was more interesting to look at than Shintarou, got up to get herself a glass of water. With her back facing him and the soft crinkle of running water against clear glass, Mihoshi whispered quietly, almost inaudibly, "I don't think I'll be able to genuinely comfort her."

Shintarou, who noticed the slight shaking of her hand, said nothing. They were understaffed that night, so the cook abandoned the kitchen to help attend to guests. _Bless the old lady_, Shintarou thought gratefully. The conversation was for no outside ears.

"It should have been me," she continued, still not facing Shintarou. "I'm the eldest Rakuzan girl who hadn't yet a suitor. My father is the eldest son. Grandfather never expressed anything resembling fondness for Yuri. For a union with a family such as the Akashi's, don't you think I'm the more obvious choice?" She let out a strangled laugh. "Not to mention, grandfather said something about deciding upon an arrangement for me a while ago."

"Do you want to be engaged to Akashi?" Shintarou asked quietly after a moment.

"I don't know," Mihoshi replied just as softly. "I'm relieved that I'm still free, and will probably be able to choose a husband for myself. But, I also feel like I've been cheated. It's nonsense, isn't it?"

"Right now, I can't face Yuri to honestly wish her good luck," she added. "It's not her fault she's the one chosen, and it's not like she _wants_ to be. Yet, here I am, blaming her even though she's the actual victim. I'm such a terrible person."

For the umpteenth time that week, Shintarou didn't know what to say. So, he said nothing. Mihoshi didn't seem like she was expecting some kind of response from him, anyway.

Neither of them noticed the person who was listening behind a halfway closed door.

* * *

**I'm sorry this is not a new chapter, just me rewriting chapter 2 because when I reread the previous one, my first reaction was "What the fuck?"**

**Justifiable (to me, at least), as the previous chapter 2 was written when I was deprived of coffee…**


End file.
